


Game, Set, and Match

by splinterfranxx



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Royal Spoilers, bad ending 11/20, thank you akesumi discord, the result of some sudden inspiration, the thieves are sad, you're all lovely people
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25167640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/splinterfranxx/pseuds/splinterfranxx
Summary: Joker was dead, the events of the third semester never set in motion.Kasumi Yoshizawa remained trapped within her own cognition.What begins as a quest to rid the world of any thief constituent becomes a joint effort to discover the truth behind the Yoshizawa twins.Now, Goro Akechi must choose - his mission, or something new?
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto
Comments: 12
Kudos: 28





	1. Checkmate

“You guys, something’s wrong! Joker’s phone hasn’t left the interrogation room! I don’t think Makoto’s sis took it!” Futaba urgently sent.

“For real? That means-” Ryuji’s reply came.

“Joker is in real danger.” Ann finished.

The Phantom Thieves group chat fell into silence, with none willing to comment further on the situation.

Makoto glanced at her phone, her heart pounding. She hated not knowing. This plan had been risky, the whole team knew, hell, Joker knew, yet it was the only way they could possibly circumvent Akechi. He had the team backed into a corner, and it was all their fault for being hasty with Okumura’s change of heart.

‘Please, Joker. Please be ok. Please come back to us.’ Makoto prayed, hoping someone was out there, listening.

Her wishes would not come to pass.

_

Sae never arrived at Leblanc that night. In fact, Sae never even came back to her and Makoto’s shared apartment.

What did arrive was the gut-wrenching news bulletin that the leader of the Phantom Thieves had killed himself.

The team raced to Leblanc, willing to sacrifice anything, absolutely anything for Futaba being wrong. Ann ended her shoot early, hopped on the train to Yongen-Jaya, heart hammering. Ryuji sprinted, to the best of his ability, to the station, fists clenched. Yusuke practically threw his brushes on the ground as he stalked out of the Kosei High art room. Futaba’s breath hitched, fingers flying over her keyboard, searching for any possibility - something she overlooked, a possible disruption due to the length underground the interrogation room was, anything. Haru practically leapt out of the car she was in, leaving a flustered Sugimura in her wake. Makoto dropped to her knees, beginning to hyperventilate. 

Somehow, every thief ended up at Leblanc at a similar time, Futaba excluded. Bursting through the door, they all looked to Futaba, muted hope mirrored on their faces.

Futaba’s wretched state was all the answer they needed.

“The...the GPS...on his phone...it- it never…” Futaba cried, absolutely devastated.  
Morgana hung his head low and shook at the group, as if to say “We failed.”

“GODDAMMIT!” Ryuji yelled, punching the counter. Tears streamed down his face as he mourned the loss of his best friend.

Sojiro tensed, tears forming in his eyes. An expression of pure fury marred his face.

“Why…? Why him?” Ann wailed to a god who would not answer.

Yusuke said nothing, the sound of his sobs muffled by his hand.

“A-are you positive? Could something have possibly-” Haru attempted to reason, not wanting to believe what she was hearing.

“I looked...for...anything! I-I...even...looked twice...the...phone...I-” Futaba wailed, unable to finish.

Makoto sank to her knees, crying out to the heavens.

_

“I think it goes without saying, you’re all under arrest.” Akechi said, calmly, as he strut through the doors of Leblanc.

The group tensed as they registered Akechi’s arrival. A range of emotions were visible on their faces, Goro noted, from disbelief to pure rage. Ryuji, a bearer of the latter, stepped forward.

“You have a lotta nerve showing your face here. YOU MURDERED HIM, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” Ryuji screamed, lifting Akechi up by the collar of his uniform.

“I did nothing of the sort. You saw the news, yes? He grabbed the gun off the guard when Sae-san left the interrogation room, and had shot himself before anyone realized. Perhaps being the leader of a criminal organization weighed too much on his conscience, or perhaps he felt the pressure of being relied on too heavily. However, who am I to attempt to discover his reasoning?” Akechi calmly explained.

“Ryuji, put him down. Taking it out on him won’t solve anything.” Makoto calmly ordered. When Akechi looked at her, however, a murderous expression marred her face, her red eyes narrow.

“Thank you, Nijima-san. It was getting a little hard to breathe. But I’ll get back to my reason for coming. You’re all Phantom Thieves. You’ve all broken the law. Joker didn’t tell Sae-san your names, but my time with you told me enough. I have more than enough on all of you to make an arrest. The Phantom Thief scourge dies today.” Akechi stated, a smirk on his face and a bite in his tone.

The door to Leblanc jingled once again as 5 officers entered the cafe. They stood behind Akechi, waiting for his signal.

“Phantom Thief ‘Skull,’ Ryuji Sakamoto, you are under arrest for the unlawful changing of hearts. 

Phantom Thief ‘Panther,’ Ann Takamaki, you are under arrest for the unlawful changing of hearts.

Phantom Thief ‘Fox,’ Yusuke Kitagawa, you are under arrest for the unlawful changing of hearts.

Phantom Thief ‘Oracle,’ Futaba Sakura, you are under arrest for the unlawful changing of hearts.

Phantom Thief ‘Noir,’ Haru Okumura, you are under arrest for the unlawful changing of hearts.

Phantom Thief ‘Queen,’ Makoto Nijima, you are under arrest for the unlawful changing of hearts.

Phantom Thief ‘Mona,’ you will be coming with me. You are to tell me everything you know about the Metaverse.

And, finally, Sojiro Sakura, the guardian of Ren Amamiya, you are under arrest for knowingly aiding and abetting criminals.”

Akechi finished with a flourish, as the officers moved in to make their arrests. Soon, the Phantom Thieves would be no more.

‘Checkmate.’ Akechi thought.


	2. The Revelation

Tae Takemi, for providing the Phantom Thieves with medicine.

Sadayo Kawakami, for generally aiding Joker.

Toranosuke Yoshida, for helping spread their influence.

Munehisa Iwai, for providing them with guns and modifications.

Shinya Oda, for teaching them how to use said guns.

Yuuki Mishima, for the creation of the Phan-Site.

Chihaya Mifune, for generally aiding Joker.

Ichiko Ohya, for helping them gain notoriety.

Hifumi Togo, for teaching them battle strategies.

With the last of their confidants in prison, Goro Akechi allowed himself to relax. The Phantom Thieves were no more. Every thief, including any person who had knowingly aided them, were arrested and imprisoned, to no doubt recieve harsher sentencing with a trial. He had finally won.

‘Surely, this will drop Shido’s guard. He’ll be showering me with praise. And, once he does, I’ll finally-’ Akechi smirked at the thought. While fantasizing about the feeling of driving his blade through Shadow Shido, or putting a bullet in his brain (Goro had to stop himself from shivering), a loose end made itself apparent to him. A moth had slipped through his spider web.

‘I’ve missed someone. Joker had help attempting to escape Sae-san’s palace, in fact, Futaba-chan said it herself. What was it that she had said…?’ Akechi pondered.

Police, storming the outside of the palace with his MetaNav. Shadows appearing everywhere, ready to defend it. Joker splitting from the group, trying to escape with the Treasure. Readings, then, no more readings.

‘Ah, that was it. Futaba-chan had mentioned a sudden influx of shadows, and they closed in, surrounding Joker. A weird reading too - that had to have been Joker’s help. The shadow count had decreased after their appearance, after all. Now...who could it have been…?’ Akechi began to piece together.

Another Persona-user, previously unaffiliated with the Phantom Thieves. Someone Joker knew that hadn’t come up in conversation during his stint with the thieves. Someone who would keep their secret, but wasn’t keen on joining.

Akechi gasped.

“Amamiya-senpai’s take on things often helps me as well.”

“...the assistance of others in need is a truly great act...but I simply can’t agree with their methods.”

“Y-Yoshizawa? It couldn’t be-” Akechi muttered in disbelief.

‘Yes it could be. It all lines up too perfectly. She obviously trusts Joker, but dislikes the Phantom Thieves. She also fits the bill for a Persona-user, considering she’s an adolescent with a strong sense of justice. Wake up, and smell the roses, Akechi.’ Akechi could feel his black-masked inner self positively snarling at his abject disbelief.

“What if I overlooked something? Her just being an adolescent with justice doesn’t necessarily-” Akechi wrestled with his inner self, his two masks beginning to polarize.

‘So what if you did? We’re DETECTIVES, for fuck’s sake. We find leads, and we follow them. And, to me, this seems like a rather big one. So, get over whatever little crush you had on her back in the day, you’re steps away from closing the Phantom Thieves case shut for good.’ Akechi’s inner self emerged triumphant.

Goro Akechi walked out the door, a man on a mission.


	3. Rebirth

The door outside the Yoshizawa residence appeared to loom over Akechi as he climbed out of his taxi. After paying the driver his fare, his inner black mask self reminded him of the plan they had formulated.

‘Yoshizawa-san’s father is still at the station. Her mother is overseas at the moment, as her father mentioned during a break the other day. Her grandmother should be out at the moment, but make haste. The sun is setting, so we’re on a timer. And, well, her sister...you know.’ his black mask self perfectly laid out.

As Akechi strode towards the door, his inner self had one more snarky comment, ‘Oh, and don’t you dare let that little crush you may have had on her impede you. Remember, she is an accomplice of the Phantom Thieves, and MUST be brought to justice.’

Akechi glared inwardly at his other self as he knocked on the door. Black Mask merely laughed.

“Yes? Who is it?” Akechi heard from the other side of the door.

“Yoshizawa-san, it’s me, Akechi. I need to speak with you.” Akechi replied, politely.

“Akechi-san? Come on in!” Akechi was greeted with the red eyes and beaming smile that had recently become commonplace upon Yoshizawa’s face. A small blush threatened to mar his features, but Black Mask put down that emotion before it could bubble up.

“Thank you, Yoshizawa-san. Would you mind if we spoke somewhere more private? It’s a very important matter.” Akechi inquired, taking off his black shoes.

“Oh no, I hope it’s nothing too bad! We can chat in my room, if you’d like!” 

“That would work perfectly.” Akechi responded, following her to her room.

Once inside the room, Akechi paused to take it in. The large hat rack and even larger painting of pink roses caught his attention immediately, the former being the first thing to greet him upon crossing the threshold, and the latter being the most striking thing in the room. A normal-looking white bed and brown shelving units completed the room. 

“So, Akechi-kun…” the sound of her voice broke Akechi out of his stupor, “...what did you need to speak to me about? I certainly hope my father hasn’t gotten in some sort of trouble with the studio.” She laughed as she imagined the teen detective berating her father for some mishap.

Ignoring how the sound of her laughter made his heart sing (mostly due to Black Mask inwardly scowling), Akechi decided to get to the point immediately. “Actually, Yoshizawa-san, I need to talk about something concerning you.”

He paused to compose himself, equipping his “stern detective” persona. This would be an interesting interrogation.

“Yoshizawa-san, I’m sure you’re aware of my brief stint with the Phantom Thieves by now. My cooperation with them was merely to lure them into a trap in which Joker would be arrested. This required the use of Sae Nijima’s palace, and also Joker splitting off from the group. This plan worked to succession, and, ultimately, the Phantom Thieves were arrested.” Akechi calmly explained.

Akechi glanced at the girl, observed her clenched fists and slightly sweaty brow, and knew he was onto something.

“However, during Joker’s attempted escape, something...odd happened. A strange presence appeared on Oracle-chan’s radar, and, suddenly, some enemies disappeared that had surrounded him. Do you know why that is, Yoshizawa-san?” Akechi questioned.

“N-no,” she struggled to look him in the eye, “I don’t.”

“You see, Yoshizawa-san, after Joker’s suicide...” Akechi watched as she flinched at the mention of it, “...I began arresting the Phantom Thieves, and all their constituents. People that supported them, and kept their identities a secret. However, it seems one slipped through the cracks.” Akechi leered at the girl.

Her fists clenched tighter.

“So, Yoshizawa-san, as one who once expressed she could not agree with the Phantom Thieves’ methodology, could you explain what you were doing in that palace, helping their leader to escape?” Akechi finished with a bite to his tone.

“I’m NOT a Phantom Thief, Akechi-kun! I was only helping him because he asked me to - he said there might be danger for him when the team tried to make their escape!” Yoshizawa yelled, frantically. “I-I never-”

“You might as well have been one. Able to access the Metaverse, and a Persona-user? Why, I’m quite surprised you weren’t part of the team.”

“I just owed him a favor! He did so much for me-” Akechi cut her off again.

“You KNOWINGLY aided and abetted CRIMINALS, Yoshizawa! You have to face penalty under the law. I will bring you to justice.” Akechi yelled, countering her.

“I’M NOT A PHANTOM THIEF! I have never supported what they do to people’s hearts, and never will! It’s just...wrong! I will never support that kind of justice...or...or my name isn’t-

KASUMI YOSHIZAWA!”

Akechi stood, mouth agape, as the girl stood, red-faced and out of breath.

He uttered one single, solitary, earth-shattering sentence.

“What on earth are you talking about, Sumire?”

Sumire Yoshizawa screamed.


	4. Reach Out to the Truth

“We’ll reach...the world...together. That’s...dream…”

“You don’t get it. You’ll never understand how I feel.”

“Hey wait...Look where you’re...the light’s red!”

“Sumire! Stop! LISTEN TO ME! SUMIRE!”

The honking of a horn.

The skidding of tires.

Blood pooling on the wet ground.

_

White hot pain coursed through Sumire Yoshizawa as she doubled over, memories flooding back to her. Goro was upon her in an instant, catching her as she fell. Pure terror and anguish were depicted on Sumire’s face as she relived her sister’s death once, twice, one hundred times. Tears streamed down her face as her pained scream became deathly silent recollection.

Goro Akechi was shaken. He hadn’t anticipated her reaction to hearing her name would be so strong. A small part of him longed to comfort her, to pull her into his arms, let her cry, be there for her. Instead, he clutched her as quiet sobs wracked her body. 

Time passed. Sumire remained hunched, unmoving, almost in a state of mental shutdown. Goro remained her sole support - he was certain her knees would’ve given out if he hadn’t caught her. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind - ‘What caused this?’ ‘Did someone do this to Yoshizawa-san?’ ‘What could they possibly hope to gain from convincing her she’s her dead sister?’ ‘She did shout out “Kasumi,” right?’

A quiet voice shook him from his stupor. “Akechi-san?”

“Yes, Yoshizawa-san? Are you alright?” Goro asked, not even attempting to mask his concern.

“Akechi-san...who am I?” Sumire’s eyes looked dead, broken. The question was simple, yet it carried so much weight. It should be so simple, yet it wasn’t.

“As far as I know, Yoshizawa-san, your name is Sumire Yoshizawa. You are the youngest daughter of Shinichi Yoshizawa, who is employed at the TV station in Akasaka Mitsuke. You had an older sister named...Kasumi Yoshizawa.” He hesitated. “...who, unfortunately, passed away this spring.” Goro calmly answered her question to the best of his ability.

“H-how...did she die? How did Kasumi die?” Sumire flinched, head searing at the mention of the name.

“I believe her death was ruled an accident. She...ran into the street and was hit by a car.” Goro replied, his eyes downcast.

“So...it was true...she’s…” Sumire’s eyes welled up with tears yet again, and she let out an absolutely heart-wrenching sob. Goro felt his chest tighten in response, and he slowly wrapped his arms around the girl. Sumire responded by burying her face into Goro’s neck, clutching his uniform, as the pair sank down to their knees, ending up sitting on the floor of her room.

Goro, unsure how to respond to Sumire’s sudden increase in physical contact, merely let her cry, rubbing comforting circles on her upper back. It felt like another eternity passed until Sumire lifted her head up, eyes puffy and red and voice hoarse from sobbing, and met his gaze.

“Akechi-san, what’s going on? What...lie have I been living?” Sumire earnestly asked.

“I’m unsure as to what the circumstances surrounding your situation are exactly, but, Yoshizawa-san, it appears to me that you have been living your life as Kasumi Yoshizawa for some time.” Akechi continued. “It also seems that you have regained Sumire, possibly triggered by my utterance of your actual name. It also seems that you have regained some memories. If you wouldn’t mind, could you recount those memories to me? I understand it might be painful, but it would allow me to better grasp what exactly happened.”

Sumire nodded. “After, um, Kasumi’s...death, I fell into a deep depression. Because I was the one who…” Sumire paused, tears threatening to fall once again. She shook her head, “...never mind that. So, my parents took me to this councillor. He was supposed to be very good with victims of extreme trauma, so they thought he’d help. My first appointment though...I could barely speak. But, then...he mentioned apples...and I can’t remember anything after that.” Sumire finished, head straining.

“This councillor...he’s the last thing you remember? Do you recall his name?” Akechi asked, pondering.  
“Yes, he’s actually the councillor at Shujin now. His name is Takuto Maruki. Ren-senpai-” she flinched. “He mentioned to me once that he’s researching cognitive psience.” Sumire answered.

While the mention of his old rival didn’t quite catch Goro’s attention, the mention of cognitive psience certainly did. “It’s- Wakaba…” Goro stuttered.

“What was that, Akechi-san?” Sumire questioned.

“Oh...nothing. Tell me Yoshizawa-san, do you know what cognition is?” Goro deflected.

“Yes, I remember Morgana-senpai mentioning it to me the day I awoke my power. It’s how we...see things, right? Like, a crime lord could see a city as his bank, or something.” Sumire tried to articulate.

“You’d be correct. And, I’m sure you’re aware of the existence of Palaces. After all, you’ve been in one before. Do you know how changing cognition works?” Goro questioned.

“It’s when the Phantom Thieves steal someone’s treasure, right? The core of their desires is taken, so they reform themselves.” Sumire answered.

“Yes, that’s how it’s normally done. However, I have a theory. You said this...Dr. Maruki was looking into cognitive psience, correct? Well, this branch of inquiry examines cognition. What if, somehow, Maruki changed your cognition of yourself, on a small scale? That would explain how deeply invested in the role you were. Of course, it could just be trauma at the end of the day, but, the gaps in your memory are certainly suspicious.” Goro flourished.

“Dr. Maruki...changed my cognition…?” Sumire stared at her hands in disbelief.

“Of course, it’s just a theory.” Goro reminded her.

A few minutes passed, Sumire attempting to process the new information. It was all too confusing - cognition, Kasumi, the lie. Above all else, Sumire needed answers.

And it just so happened that the 2nd Detective Prince had entered her home with the intent to arrest her.

“Um...Akechi-san...I have something to ask you. It’s...um...fine if you say no.” Sumire played with her hair, propositioning.

“What is it, Yoshizawa-san?” Goro questioned.

“Um...I want to know. I want to know exactly what happened to me. And, I was wondering if you would help me out. I know you’re busy, but, you’re also a detective, and I can’t do this alone.” Sumire looked at him with pleading eyes.

Goro opened his mouth to respond, but his inner Black Mask came charging to the forefront of his mind. ‘Absolutely not, Goro, are you insane? You came here to arrest the last conspirator of the Phantom Thieves, not embark on some life-changing field trip. Besides, Shido’s already breathing down our neck as is, and if we even show a modicum of betrayal, the whole plan goes down the drain.’

“Well, it seems the person who assisted Joker in Sae Nijima’s palace is dead. Can’t quite arrest the deceased, I’m afraid.” Goro started with a laugh.

‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING? SHUT UP.’ His inner self scolded.

“The person who stands before me is completely different, and I have no evidence to suggest she would’ve supported the Phantom Thieves whatsoever.” Goro continued.

‘SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!’

“Who I do see, however, is someone in need of a detective. Someone to help them solve the mystery of their past.” 

‘SHUT UP!’

“So yes, Yoshizawa-san…”

‘NO!’

“...I will take your case.”

A radiant, gentle smile made itself known to Goro Akechi as the redhead took in not only her acquittal, but her acceptance.

“Oh, by the way, Akechi-san?” 

“Yes, Yoshizawa-san?”

“Would you...call me Sumire? I don’t...want to forget again.”

“Of course, Sumire-san.”

“Thank you, Goro.”


End file.
